Machine for pressing sleeved articles in one lay



P. N. BRAUN Aug. 24, 1943.

MACHINE'FOR'PRESSING SLEVED ARTICLES IN ONE LAY 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 14, 1940 y IN N TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

MSR. BY IM Aug. 24, 1943.

P. N. BRAUN MACHINE FOR PSSING SLEEVED ARTICLES IN ONE LAY Filed Nov. 14, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN s.

Aug. 24, 1943. P. N; BRAUN MACHINE- FOR PRESSING SLEEYED ARTICLES' IN ONEvLAY Fild Nov. 14, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR Patented Aug. 24, 1943 MACHINE FORV PRESSING SLEEVED ARTI- CLES IN ONE LAY Philip N.. Braun, Syracuse, N. Y., assigner to The Prosperity Company, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York A Application November 14, 1940, Serial No. 365,681

14 Claims.

This invention relates to pressing or ironing tubular fabric articles substantially throughout their entire surface in one operation, as for instance, shirt sleeves or the sleeves of other garments, shirt or Acoat bodies, or any tubular article of wearing apparel and the like that can take a tubular form, and has for its object a pressing element on which the article is sleeved provided with means for automatically adapting or adjusting the Widthwise dimension of the pressing element to dilerent sizes or diameters of the tubular articles, and providing a substantially continuous pressing surface without gaps for operating on substantially the entire area of the tubular article, regardless of its width. for its object a pressing element having yieldingly expansible and deformable means along one or both of its lateral edges and operable to Hatten or deform during the pressing operation.

It also .has for its object a pressing machine embodying a pressing element on. which the article is sleeved, which element has pressing facesron opposite sides thereof, as for instance, on its upper and lower sides, pressing members coacting with the pressing faces during each pressing operation with the pressing faces of the members of greater width than the pressing faces of said element and extending beyond the opposite side edges of the pressing element, together with means for projecting the side portions of the sleeved article laterally into thepressing zones of Y the pressing faces of the laterally extending portions.

It further has for its object such expansible means in the form of an inflatable tube with means for supplying afiuid or air under pressure to the tube, the tube being provided with re stricted outlets to permit the air to escape during the iiattening operation to avoid rupturing the tube. Preferably, the tube is pervious to permit the air being pressed out of the same to dry the contiguous portion of the article being pressed.

It further has for its object a pressing machine having actuating mechanism, controls therefor form successively eiiecting the expansion or automatic adjustment of the expansible means to the Width of the article sleeved thereon and the pressing operation.

The invention is here illustrated'as embodied More specifically, it hasl and the like, and in a machine for pressing the y bodies of shirts sleeved on the pressing element.

The invention consists in the novel features and hereinillustrating respectively the pressing element before the article is sleeved thereon; after the article is sleeved thereon; after the automatic means is operated to adjust the pressing element to the width of the article or sleeve prior to the pressing operation; and the iinal pressing operation.

Figure 8 is a plan view, partly in section of the pressing element employed when the entire shirt body is to be ironed in one lay, the contiguous portion of one of the movable pressing members coacting therewith being also shown.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane of line 9 9, Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view of a pressing machine showing the pressing elements and coacting pressing members adapted to press both sleeves of the shirt in one operation.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the pressing element on which both sleeves are pressed. f

Figure l2 is a slightly modified form of the pressing element shown in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Figure 13 is a sectional view similar to Figure of another embodiment of the invention 1 1;- i

This machine for pressing tubular fabricar-'- ticles or articles of flexible material comprises a' pressing element having a plurality of pressing faces throughout its entire area on which element the article is sleeved, expansible means operable to compensate for diierent diameters of articles, to cause the articles to lay smoothly on the surfaces of said elements without any slack or wrinkles in the article, pressing members operable to cooperate with the faces of said element and with the surface of said expansible means, said expansible means being yieldingly deformable toward a flattened form to conform to the pressing members during the pressing operation, whereby the portions of the article overlying said means conform to the pressing faces of the said members, and thesleeved article is pressed extended or expanded is that of the sleeve of Igreatest width.

In machines for pressing other articles which vary in width, as for instance, sho'rt bodies, the

` body of the pressing element is normally of the width of the shirt of minimum size and expansible to the width of a shirt of maximum size.

I designates bne form of pressing element having a plurality of pressing faces throughout its entire peripheral area, the pressing element here illustrated being' a platen provided with pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, as its upper and lower sides, and being preferably e1- liptical in general form, so that its pressing faces are convex. 2 and 3 designate respectively pressing members coacting with the pressing faces respectively of the element, that is, in this embodiment of the invention, the upper and lower faces of the element or platen I, the pressing members 2 and 3 having concave pressing faces complemental to the pressing faces of the body of the element I. The pressing element I is provided with expansible means at one and preferably both of its lengthwise edges, that is, the edges at the ends of the major diameter of the elliptical formation. The expansible means is preferably a hollow exible resilient expansible and deformable tube 4, and it is expanded by internal fluid pressure, as air under pressure. The pressing element I thus includes a body, expansible means, and in addition, a cover 5 surrounding the body and the expansible means or tube or tubes 4. As seen best in Figures 6 and 7, the body of the pressing element I and the pressing members 2, 3 are formed hollow at 6, I and 8 respectively to receive a heating medium which heats the pressing surfaces thereof. The pressing members 2, 3 also have substantially smooth pressing faces 9, I along their opposite edges which extend beyond the edges of the body of the element I and coact with .the expansible tube 4 during the pressing operation. The tube or tubes are preferably secured to the cover which may be a padding, and held in juxtaposition to the body of. the pressing element by the padding. l

In pressing a sleeve, as a shirt sleeve, the sleeve is passed over or sleeved on the pressing element I, as seen in Figure 5. A ir under pressure is then admitted to the tube 4 expanding the pressing element in a widthwise direction to the size of the sleeve thereon and tightly or smoothly laying it on the cover 5, which is also drawn taut during expanding of the tube 4. The pressing members 2, 3 are then operated from the position shown in Figure 6 to that pressing surface. A shirt sleeve usually is provided with one lengthwise seam, and this seam is at one of the folding lines.

y Owing to the elliptical formation, the ironed or pressed sleeve is substantially flat but the inner surfaces thereof are not pressed together. As seen in Figure 12, the pressing element or the pressing faces thereof may be substantially flat, and the u'pper and lower pressing members have their pressing faces wider than those of the pressing elements, in order to coact with the expansible tubes 4 in substantially the same manner, as in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Y The outlets for the air are provided for preventing exploding of the tube under the pressure, these being restricted outlets, in order that the pressure Within the tubes will keep the surface of the article pressed evenly against the pressing surfaces 9, I0. The tubes may be pervious or porous and the air escape through the pores. If the tube is not pervious, as when made of rubber or including a rubber sack, as seen in Figures 1 and 3, pop-off valves as I2 may be provided.

In the form shown in Figure 8, the pressing element I is shown of such size as to receive a shirt of minimum width when sleeved thereon, and to expand to the size of a shirt of maximum width. 4a designates the expansible tubes for compensating for shirts of different widths. IIIEL designates the pressing surfaces at the lateral edges of the lower pressing element for coacting with the expansible tubes 4a. The general construction and operation is the same as the sleeve press.

In this shirt pressing machine, the pressing element is shown as formed with cut-outs at I3 for the sleeves, wherethey join the shoulders and the body of the shirt. The upper and lower pressing elements are also formed as not to press the portions of the sleeve where they join the body of the shirt. In pressing a shirt, the shirt is sleeved on the pressing element and the front edges fastened, or fastened or buttoned together,

.45. preliminary to, the pressing operation.

ing means or tubes 4b along its opposite edges.

The pressing elements 211,31 are formed double to coact with the double or bifurcated pressing element Ib.

The pressing element I is suitably supported,

as by a. bracket I4 (Figures 1, 2) to overhang shown in Figure 7. The concave faces of these the lower pressing member 3, the bracket I4 being mounted on a suitable frame or standard I5 rising from the base I 6 of the frame. 'I'he 'upper pressing member 2 is movable toward and from the pressing element I and the lower pressing member 3 is also movable toward and from the pressing element I. As here illustrated, the upper pressing member 2 is carried by a lever II pivoted between its ends at I8 to an upright I9 rising from the frame of the machine, the lower arm 20 of the lever being connected to actuating means to be presently described.

The lower pressing member 3 is movably vertically toward and from the lower pressing face of the element I' and is carried bythe actuating mechanism, as the piston or plunger rod of a piston or ram utilized in this embodiment of 'il'he iivention to actuate the lower pressing mem- Air under pressure is supplied to the expansible means or tubes 4 from any suitable source, as a blower 2|, actuated by 'an electric motor, the outlet of the blower beingconnected by a conduit 22 to like ends of the expansible tubes 4. The relief or pop-off valve I2 may be provided in the blower system in any suitable place, here shown as located in the pipe 22. The tubes 4 are pervious or porous and no pop-off valve used, or the tubes may be impervious and no pop-01T valve provided, as the excess pressure of the air during the applying of the final pressure of the press may back up through the blower. However, to protect the tube 4 from rupture and avoid any danger of a weaker tube exploding, the tube is made pervious or a relief valve provided.

In pressing shirt sleeves, the cuffs are usually pressed before the sleeves are pressed, and hence when the sleeves are pressed on this machine, means are provided for holding the cuis. This means is here shown as a jaw or clamp 24 carried by a lever arm 25 which is pivoted on the same pivot I8 that the head-carrying lever arm I1 is mounted, it being located beyond one end of the upper pressing member 2 and movable intocoaction with the upper surface at the end of the pressing element I. It is actuated, as will be presently described.

In Figure 13, the sleeved article is expanded and smoothed on the pressing element I and the side portions thereof projected laterally into position to be pressed by the pressing faces of the laterally extending portions or flanges 9, I of the pressing members 1 and 8, without the use' of tubes or expanders 4. In the construction shown in Figure 13, air is blown directly into the sleeved article and expands and smooths it while so expanded; the,- pressing members 1 and 8 operate to press the major part of the sleeved article on the opposing faces of the pressing element I, and the lateral edge portions between the faces 9, Il). 'I'he air is blown in a manner similar to that shown in' Figures 1 or 8, and one end of the article, as a sleeve, is closed substantially against undue outlet of air during the air blowing operation by clamping the cuff end around the end of the pressing element I.

'I'he general operation of the machine shown in Figures 1 and 2 is as follows:

The sleeve is rst sleeved on the pressing element I, the cuff clamp 24 operated into closed position on the cuff or the sleeve, clamping it against the pressing element I; air is then allowed to pass from the blower 2| through the pipe 22 to the expansible tubes 4 to cause the pressing element l to automatically adjust widthwise to the widthwise dimension of the sleeve. The pressing members 2, 3 are then actuated into pressing engagement with the pressing element l, or from the position shown in Figure 6 to that shown in Figure 7.

When the pressing operation is complete, the various parts are restored to their positions shown in Figures 1, 2.

The actuating mechanism and the controls therefor will now be described. The actuating mechanism for the upper pressing element 2 consists of a cylinder 26 and piston 21 therein, the rod 28 of which is connected to the arm 29 of the lever' l1. The lower pressing element 2 is actuated by a cylinder 29 and piston 39 therein, the rod 3I of which thrusts against and is secured to the lower pressing member 3, this piston and cylinder constituting a ram. The

3 cuffclamp is actuated by a cylinder 32, and a piston 33 therein, the rod 34 of which is connected to the lever 25 carrying the cul clamp 24. These cylinders and pistons are suitably mounted on the frame of the machine. The motive uid is preferably compressed air.

In operation, the operator operates a suitable control, here shown as a pedal 35, theV depression of the pedal closing an exhaust valve 36 in a casing 31 and opens an air intake valve 38 in said casing against the action of a returning spring 39, the intake and exhaust valves being joined together by a stem 40, so that they act as a unit. The air then passes from a suitable source through a main supply pipe 4I, branch 42, pipe '43' to the valve casing 31, past the open intake valve 38 through pipe 44 to the cylinder 32 of the motor which operates the cuff clamp and actuates the piston therein to close the cuff clamp 24 down on the cuff on the pressing element I.

During this movement of the piston 33, it uncovers a port in the-cylinder 32 and permits the air pressure to pass through a pipe 46 to a diaphragm chamber 41 to actuate a diaphragm therein, which is connected through suitable connections to an operating lever 48 of a valve 49 kin the outlet of the blower 2I, the blower being constantly actuated by electric motor so that by opening of the valve 49, the air passes through the expansible tubes 4 and expands them to adjust the pressing element to the widthwise diameter of the sleeve. This cui clamp` and blower valve control constitute means for successively operating the cuff clamp and the blower valve from a single control.

The control here shown requires two hands. Depression of manuals 50 and 5I closes exhaust valves 52 and 53' and opens intake valves 54 and 55 in casings 56, 51 respectively, which casings are connected in series by a` pipe 58, the valve casing 56 being connected in the supply pipe 4I. Thus, upon depressing of the push buttons, the air passes from supply pipe 4I through open intake valve 54, valve casing 56, pipe 58- to casing 51, past,the open intake valve therein, then through pipe 59 to the cylinder 26 and actuates the piston 21 therein, to close the upper pressing member 2 down on the pressing element I. Dur- .ing this movement of the piston 21, it uncovers a port 60 in the sidey of the cylinder 26 and the' air passes through pipe 6I, and pipe 62 to a diaphragm chamber 63 to operate the diaphragm 64 therein, which closes an exhaust valve 65 and opens the intake valve 66 in the casing 61, which casing communicates through pipe 68 with the cylinder 29, so that upon the opening of the intake valve 66, air is free to pass from the pipe 42, past the open intake valve 66 and through the casing G1 into the cylinder 29 and actuates the piston 30 therein to close the lower pressing member 3 upwardly against the lower side of the pressing element I. Also, when the piston 21, which closes the upper pressing member, passes the port 6U in the cylinder 2E, the air also passes through pipe 6I and through branch pipes 59 and 10 to diaphragm chambers 1I and 12 to actuate diaphragms 13, 14 therein to act on levers 15, 16 to hold the valves in the casing 56, 51 in their operated position. Upon the release of the foot pedal 35, the cuff clamp will open under the re-action of the returning spring 11. The air exhausts from the cylinder 32 back through the pipe 44 and the now open exhaust valve 36 and by the return of the piston 33 to its starting position, air is cut oi from the diaphragm chamber 41, so that the valve 49 in the blower outlet is free to close under the influence of its` returning spring 1 8. To open the pressing members 2, 3, the air is exhausted from the diaphragm chambers 1 I, 12 by opening one or the other of a normally closed exhaust valve 19 or 80 located inchamber 63, permitting the intake valve 6E to close under the action of its returning spring and the exhaust valve 65 free to open, releasing the air from the cylinder 29. The actuating means and control constitute broadly means for effecting successive operation of the pressing members coasting with an intermediate pressing element upon the operation of one or one set of controls or controls common to an actuator or motor for one member and the actuator or motor for the other member.

The general operation of the construction shown in Figure 13 is the same as that shown in the other figures of the drawings, except that the air is blown directly into the sleeved article to smooth the same and project the lateral edges thereof out into the pressing zones of the laterally extending portions 9 and l0 of the pressing members 1 and 8.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for pressing tubular fabric articles in one lay comprising a pressing element having a plurality of pressing faces throughout its outside area on which element the article is sleeved, an expansible tube extending along said element at the adjacent edges of two of the pressing faces and operable to expand to compensate for different diameters of the article, pressing members operable to cooperate with said faces and said expansible tube, said tube being yieldingly deformable toward flattened form to conform to the pressing member during the pressing operation, whereby the portions of the article overlying said tube conform to the pressing faces of said pressing member and the sleeved article pressed substantially throughout its entire area, and means for supplying a pressure fluid to the interior of the tube, said tube being pervious to permit the escape of the fluid during the flattening of the tube during the pressing operation.

2. In a machine for pressing tubular fabric articles comprising a pressing element having a plurality of pressing faces throughout its outer area, on which element the article is sleeved, yieldingly expansible deformable tubes extending along said element at the adjacent edges of the pressing faces and operable to expand outward to compensate for different diameters of the article, pressing members operable to cooperate with said faces and said tubes, and means for supplying a pressure uid to the interiors of the tubes, the tubes being of a pervious material to permit the escape of pressure uid during the pressing operation.4

3. In a pressing machine for pressing tubular fabric articles comprising a pressing element substantially elliptical in general form in cross-section provided with convex pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, on which element the article is sleeved, expansible deformable tubes extending V lengthwise of the opposite edges of the elliptical formation and operable to compensate for diifery-being yieldingly deformable toward flattened form to conform to the coacting faces of the pressing member during the pressing operation, and means for supplying a pressure fluid to the interiors of the tubes, said tubes being pervious to permit the restricted outlet of the fluid during the flattening of the tubes.

i. In a machine for pressing tubular fabric articles in one lay comprising a pressing element including a body, a flexible covering enclosing the body, the pressing element having aplurality of faces throughout its area, and expansible means -operable to compensate for different diameters of the articles, said means being secured to the covering and held in juxtaposition to tthe body by the covering, and pressing members operable'to cooperate with the faces of said element and with said means.

5. In a machine for pressing tubular fabric articles in one lay comprising a pressing element including a body, a flexible covering enclosing the body, the pressing element having a plurality of faces throughout its area, and expansible means operable to compensate for different diameters of the articles, said means being secured to the covering and held in juxtaposition to the body by the covering, pressing members operable to cooperate with the faces of said element and with said means, said means being yieldingly deformable to conform to the pressing members during the pressing operation,

whereby the portions of the article overlying said means conform to the'pressing faces of the pressing members during the pressing operation.

6. In a pressing machine for pressing tubular fabric articles in one lay comprising a pressing element including a body, a covering for the body and an expansible tube extending along one edge of the body at the adjacent edges of the pressing faces and operable to expand outward to compensate for different diameters of the article sleeved on the element, said tube beingA secured to the covering and held in juxtaposition to the body thereby, pressing members operable to cooperate with said pressing faces and said tube, said tube being yieldingly deformable to conform to the pressing members during the pressing operations, whereby the portion of the article overlying the tube conforms to the pressing faces of said pressing members and the sleeved article pressed substantially throughout its entire area, and means for expanding the tube.

7. In a pressing machine, an intermediate pressing element for receiving an article sleeved thereon andhaving pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, pressingmembers cooperating respectively with said faces and having portions lextending laterally beyond at least one edge of the pressing element, said portions coacting with each other to press the side portions of the article extending .beyond the edge of the intermediate element, and means for extending the excess portions of the sleeved article at the edges of said element outwardly into the path of the laterally extending portions of the vfaces of said pressing members.

.8. A machine for pressing tubular fabric artlcles in one lay including an intermediate pressing element having pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, on which element the article is sleeved, pressing members operable to cooperate with said pressing faces, said element and members having a relative opening and closing movement, and means for eifecting the same, said members having pressing faces extending laterally beyond the intermediate pressing element in a direction at an angle to the opening and closing movement, the last pressing faces of each member coacting with the like pressing face of I movement, and means for effecting the same,

said members having pressing faces extending laterally beyond the intermediate pressingelement ina direction at an angle to .the opening and closing movement, the last pressing faces of each member coacting with the like pressing face of the other member during the pressing operation while said members are coacting with the intermediate pressing element, expansible means on the intermediate element operable to compensate for thedifferent diameters of the article sleeved on the intermediate pressing element and expand the same into the path of the movement of the laterally extending pressing faces of said members, and means for expanding said means.

10. A machine for pressing tubular fabric articles in one lay including an intermediate pressing element having pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, on which element the article is sleeved, pressing members operable to cooperate with said pressing faces, said element and members having a relative opening and closing movement, and means for effecting the same, said members having pressing faces extending later'-, ally beyond the intermediate pressing element in a direction at an angle to the opening and closing movement, the last pressing faces of each member coacting with the like pressing face of the other member during the pressing operation while said members are coacting with the intermediate pressing element, inflatable expansible means on the intermediate element operable to compensate for the different diameters of the article sleeved on the intermediate pressing element and expand the same into the path of movement of the laterally extending faces of said members, said inflatable expansible means fiattening under the action of the laterally extending pressing faces of said members, and means for inflating the same.

ll. A machine for pressing tubular fabric articles in one lay including an intermediate pressing element having pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, on which element the article is sleeved, pressing members operable to cooperatev with said pressing faces, said element and members having a relative opening and closing movement, and means for effecting the same, said members having pressing faces extending laterally beyond the intermediate pressing element in a direction at an angle to the opening and closing movement, the last pressing faces of each member coacting with the like pressing face of the .other member during the pressing operation while said members are coacting with the intermediate pressing element, inflatable expansible means on the intermediate element operable to compensate for the different diameters of the article sleeved on the intermediate pressing element and expand the same into the path of movement of the laterally extending faces of said members, said inflatable expansible means flattening under the action of the laterally extending pressing faces of said members, and means for infiating the same, said inflatable means having a restricted outlet to permit said means to deform and flatten during the pressing-operation.

12. A machine for pressing tubular fabric articles in one lay including an intermediate pressing element having pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, on which element the article is sleeved, pressing members operable to cooperate with said pressing faces, said element and members having a relative opening and closing movement, and means for effecting the same, said members having pressing faces extending laterally beyond the intermediate pressing element in a direction at an angle to opening and closing movement,l the last pressing faces of each member coacting with the like pressing face of the other member during the pressing operation while said members are coacting with the intermediate pressing element, inflatable expansible means on the intermediate element operable to compensate for the different diameters of the article sleeved on the intermediate pressing elearticle is sleeved, pressing members having press-f ing faces complemental to the pressing faces of said element, s aid element and members having relative opening and closing movement, andmeans for effecting such movement, said members also having pressing faces extending laterally beyond at least one end of the elliptical formation in a direction crosswise of the opening and closing movement of said members and element, the last pressing faces of each member coacting with the like pressing face of the other member, expansible means on the intermediate element extending lengthwise thereof and operable, when expanded, to compensate for different diameters of the articles and to extend between the laterally extending pressing faces of said members, the expansible means beingl deformable and flattenable between the laterally extending pressing faces of said members, and means'for applying an expanding force to the expansible means.

` i4. A machine for pressing tubular fabric articles comprising an intermediate pressing element having pressing faces on opposite sidesv with the former pressing faces during each pressing operation, said element and members having a relative opening and closing movement, and means for eiecting such relative movement, said pressing members also having pressing faces extending laterally bcyond at least one of the side edges of said element at an angle approximating a right angle to the direction of the relative opening and closing movement of said pressing element and members, the laterally extending pressing faces of one member coacting with the lateraily extending pressing face of the other member, and pneumatic means operable for project- 5 ing portions of the tubular article outwardly into position to be pressed by the laterally extending pressing faces of said members.

yPHILIP N. BRAUN. 

